How 3 Minutes Can Save a Life During Eating Disorders Awareness Week

This online quiz is a game changer.

February 21 – 27 is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (#NEDAwareness). Throughout the week, NEDA and its supporters aim to bring awareness about the seriousness of eating disorders and increase access to treatment and resources for those in need. This year’s NEDAwareness theme is “3 Minutes Can Save a Life: Get Screened. Get Help. Get Healthy.” If you are struggling with food, body image, or exercise issues, I encourage you to take just 3 minutes to complete the confidential online eating disorders screening. While this screening is NOT an official diagnosis, the results of this quiz might determine if it is time to seek professional help.

In the United States, 20 million women suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder at some time in their life, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, or an eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS). By age 6, girls start to express concerns about their own weight or shape, and 40-60% of elementary school girls (ages 6-12) are concerned about their weight or about becoming too fat.

Of all American elementary school girls who read magazines, 69% say that the pictures influence their concept of the ideal body shape and 47% say the pictures make them want to lose weight. These astonishing statistics illustrate the detrimental influence our culture has on young girls’ perceptions of their body and weight.

Our news feeds are saturated with images of women who embody our culture’s narrow depiction of the beauty-ideal. Girls and women are receiving subliminal messages that they – and their bodies – are not good enough. If a woman is slender, she is told curvy is beautiful; if a woman is full-figured, she is made to believe that she must be thin to be attractive. When it comes to societal messages about women’s bodies, no matter which way you spin it, it often feels like we just can’t win.

By now, we — eating disorder professionals, activists, and advocates — can all agree that the media does not cause eating disorders; however, it is evident that the limited representation of beauty has lingering effects on the way we view our bodies. Luckily, brands like Aerie are stepping up and celebrating body diversity with un-retouched models and messaging such as, “the real you is sexy.” Even Barbie, who was the pinnacle of unattainable beauty for the last 50-plus years, is acknowledging the range and diversity of beautiful women with a redesign consisting of three body shapes — tall, petite, and curvy — and seven skin tones. And here at Teen Vogue, while we feature our favorite fashion models and stars, we always try to promote body positivity and valuing the skin you're in above all else.

Being an educated and critical consumer is one way to possibly prevent the onset of an eating disorder. However, it is important to note that eating disorders are complex diseases associated with many biological and environmental risk factors, which sometimes cannot be prevented. Given that millions of people across the country suffer from eating disorders, the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) emphasizes the importance of eating disorder prevention and early intervention efforts, as detection and intervention during the early stages of an eating disorder can significantly increase the likelihood of preventing the onset of a full-blown eating disorder.

Although someone might not “look like they have an eating disorder,” it is important to note that eating disorders do not discriminate; you cannot tell anything about a person’s relationship with food based on their age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or even weight. Moreover, eating disorders are not just a “fad” or a “phase,” they are serious, potentially life-threatening conditions that affect a person’s health — emotionally, physically, and psychologically.

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, it is important to seek out professional help from an eating disorder specialist. The NEDA Helpline is available Monday - Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET and Fridays, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET to answer your questions about seeking treatment for yourself or a loved one, finding support groups, assessing your options, and finding information and resources about eating disorders.